India's Healthcare GCCs Projected to Generate 67,000 Jobs in 2026: Report

Nearly 93 per cent of the projected openings are expected to target candidates with three to 12 years of experience, highlighting a shift towards specialised mid-career talent in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, clinical research and regulatory affairs.

The report said healthcare GCC hiring nearly doubled in 2025, rising 97.5 per cent from 32,000 roles in 2024 to 63,200.

India's healthcare GCC ecosystem currently comprises 155 organisations employing approximately 3.2 lakh professionals. However, the growing demand for specialised skills is creating a widening gap between hiring requirements and the availability of qualified candidates.

AI is expected to be the fastest-growing capability within the sector. Its adoption across healthcare GCCs could increase from around 60 per cent of centres currently to 80–90 per cent by 2030, as applications expand into clinical functions, research and development, operations and product workflows.

Kapil Joshi, CEO of Quess IT Solutions, said hiring had nearly doubled in the previous year, while demand for AI and data talent had increased by almost 150 per cent since 2023. He identified the shortage of skilled professionals as a key challenge facing the industry.

The report highlighted substantial growth in demand across several specialised functions. Requirements for data, analytics and AI roles increased 147.3 per cent between 2023 and the 2026 forecast, rising from 1,781 to 4,404 positions.

Demand for regulatory, quality and compliance professionals more than doubled to 6,147 roles. Meanwhile, openings in research and development, clinical development, biometrics and statistics rose 82.5 per cent to 5,421.

Despite the sector's sizeable workforce, specialist talent availability remains limited. The report put the supply-to-demand ratio at 1.6:1 for both data, analytics and AI, and market access, patient services and analytics. This compares with an overall workforce-to-annual-demand ratio of 4.8:1.

Hiring patterns also indicate a growing preference for experienced professionals over fresh graduates. Of the 67,000 projected openings, approximately 38,391 are expected to be for candidates with three to seven years of experience, while another 23,856 are aimed at professionals with seven to 12 years of experience.

Entry-level hiring demand fell 12.4 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, even as overall quarterly hiring demand rose 6 per cent.

Bengaluru and Hyderabad continue to dominate India's healthcare GCC landscape, together accounting for 62.2 per cent of the existing workforce and 58.4 per cent of projected hiring demand in 2026.

Bengaluru leads with an installed talent base of approximately 1.09 lakh professionals and projected demand for 23,600 roles. Its growth is being driven by requirements in technology, digital health, AI and medical-device engineering.

The report points to a broader transformation in healthcare GCCs, with hiring increasingly focused on specialised technical and domain expertise rather than traditional support functions. The availability of experienced professionals with the right skills is likely to remain a key factor shaping the sector's expansion.